29 August 2010

Welcome to my Sunday mornings. For me it is the only day where I can lie in bed for as long as I wish, have a leisurely breakfast and treat myself or my guests royally. Why not serve up this classic Dutch Baby with fresh from the farmers market picked blackberries, some slices of Canadian bacon and a steamy cup of coffee.

Known as the "Cabernet" of berries for their earthy wine-like taste blackberries are a favourite here on the west coast. They grow wild prolifically on every roadside and for those brave enough and armed with long sleeved shirts and pants you will be able to keep your neighbourhood supplied with delicious, plump berries throughout the season. Sadly I live in the interior in a desert oasis so rely upon these brave souls to truck them into our farmers markets. They come at a premium price but are so worth it!!!

Blackberries are similar to raspberries with some of the same nutritional values and health benefits including antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. The blackberry family, a member of the rose family, are "aggregate fruits" that are composed of many individual fruits called drupelets. Blackberries can also be called "bramble berry" or "bramble raspberry" and have numerous (and very sharp) short curved spines.

Bramble is the common name for the plant on which the blackberry fruit grows, not the name of the fruit itself and takes me back to my childhood with one of my favourite series The Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem. I loved exploring the miniature world of the hedgerow and meeting the families of mice that live there through this series of books almost as much as I loved to visit Narnia with C.S. Lewis. The mice had such adventures including a midsummer mouse wedding, a wonderful surprise birthday picnic party, a scary mountain exploration, and the biggest celebration of all – the Ice Palace Ball!

Blackberries have risen in culinary prowess here in the West with the fame of the Marionberry, a species of blackberry cultivated south of here in Oregon's Willamette Valley (Marion County). They have exceptional aroma and taste which makes them highly prized by chefs and home cooks alike.

I have also recently discovered that blackberries are for women only. Sorry you guys out there, if indeed any men read this blog, when your significant other makes a delicious no-bake cheesecake topped with blackberries you will need to back away. I am of course only kidding because I don't want to eat this delicious German-inspired pancake in today's post all by myself! I recently read that blackberries have recently been recognized as a leading source of compounds thought to produce health benefits for women, due to their high concentrations of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens, literally “plant estrogens”, have been of interest to the scientific community because of their possible role in prevention of both breast and cervical cancer. These compounds act as a natural form of estrogen. Studies indicate that blackberries may contain some of the highest levels of phytoestrogens. So eat those blackberries ladies whether you find them frozen, in jam or au naturel.

The perfect foile for my blackberries was to make a comforting breakfast treat... a Dutch Baby, sometimes called a German pancake It is a sweet breakfast dish similar to Yorkshire pudding and derived from the German Apfelpfannkuchen. This dish won me over years ago not only because of its great name, but also because it puffs up to great heights while cooking. What a presentation it makes!!!!This pancake is not as sweet as other pancakes so is traditionally served with lemon juice and icing (powdered) sugar. That is nice but I wanted to use those delicious blackberries discovered at the farmers market over the weekend. I had some blackberry honey which I drizzled on top as well.

*Bread flour is a high-protein flour. The high protein helps the pancake rise. All-purpose flour may be substituted but the results won't be as spectacular.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. NOTE: It is very important that you preheat your oven. Place oven rack on the middle rack of your oven. Place a large, heavy ovenproof frying pan or a cast-iron skillet (I like to use my 10-inch cast-iron skillet), in the oven until hot and sizzling. While pan is heating, prepare your batter.

NOTE: Use a shallow pan, not more than 3 inches deep (pie pans, cast-iron skillets, oven-proof fry pans, baking dishes, paella pans). Like I said before, I prefer using a cast-iron skillet or pan because it acts as a heat reservoir, retaining the heat and distributing it evenly.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a blender until light and frothy; add milk, flour, vanilla extract, and cinnamon; beat for 5 minutes more. The batter will be thin, but very smooth and creamy.

Using a pot holder, remove the hot skillet from the oven; add the butter; tilting the pan to melt the butter and coat the skillet.

Pour the prepared batter into the hot skillet, all at once, and immediately return the skillet to the oven.

Bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown (bake until the pancake puffs up around the edges - it may puff irregularly in the center).

Remove from oven and serve immediately. Either bring the pancake to the table in its pan or slide it onto a serving plate. Once out of the oven, the pancake will begin to deflate.

To serve, cut into serving-size wedges and transfer to individual serving plates. Top with blackberries, drizzle with warm honey and serve immediately. Or for a a classic German Pancake/Dutch Baby, sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice, and dust the top with powdered sugar.

48 comments:

I love blackberries, but don't have any in the fridge at the moment. Must remedy that soon! Your breakfast looks so tasty. I'm starving and have put off eating for far too long today. I do have some blueberries and I'm thinking that pancakes would be good. Time to get cooking! Have a great Sunday! : )

I'd love to be sharing this dish and your leisurely morning! We are lucky to have fresh berries of all kinds around here and they find their way to our table often in season. I've never heard of blackberry honey but will check out what sounds to be the perfect accompaniment.

I am so glad I didn't open this until after I had served fresh hot blueberry banana muffins for breakfast. I have a feeling the hubs would have seen this and demanded that he deserved something this delicious looking!

I've never made this lovely creation but have ordered it in restaurants, didn't look nearly as appealing as yours with those gorgeous blackberries, and then you said to serve it with coffee and canadian bacon! OH MY!

A leisurely slow morning is one of life's treats, especially on the weekends. I love blackberries (and really all berries) and you're right, they are worth the extra price. I love how you presented them in a Dutch Baby too! Roz

OMG that Dutch Baby looks amazing as do the juicy, ripe blackberries! I also just posted an entry about Sunday brunch a few minutes ago - isn't it just one of the best meals of the whole week? Look forward to trying this recipe in the near future - thanks for sharing. Cheers!

What a gorgeous way to start a weekend morning. I love Dutch Babies and when they are topped with blackberries they are among my favorite brunch treats. hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

Blackberries are my most favored berries after mulberries; now that I know that they are good for my female needs, heck I will be eaten even more of them!Love dutch baby used to make it a lot when I lived in California

I remember years ago seeing a recipe for "giant pancake" in a magazine. I just have been about 14 at the time. I decided to make it and boy was it good. I remember serving it with lemon and powdered sugar as the recipe called for. It was also seasoned with nutmeg.

It wasn't until years later that I found out the pancake in question was more commonly called a "Dutch baby". In any case, it's a great, easy recipe with very tasty results. Love the addition of berries.

Tell me about the risks of blackberry picking! It's a rough sport and doesn't always give bountiful results - at least if you're going for the wild variety.

I love blackberries and your information is fascinating and makes me realize that I should be eating them all the time now! Yay! This Dutch baby with blackberries is perfect! I've always wanted to make one of these but never have and I love it with blackberries, your way. Scrumptious!

Re you "visit" to my blog this morning: You may be the queen of pesto but I am your lady-in-waiting!! I've already "put up" your asparagus pesto for the winter's enjoyment!! I also, as I'm sure most pesto lovers do, freeze quite a bit in ice cube trays for that extra touch to some dishes.

WOW! Double WOW! Never seen of or heard of a Dutch Baby. Great read about the blackberries. The photo looks incredible - and with a steamy cup of black coffee? Sunday morning perfection! I love my crepes with lemon juice and powdered sugar. I love how you live your life, Valli!:)Valerie

When vacationaing in Italy as a youngster...I was surrounded by roadside blackberry bushes...and yes, I certainly took them for granted. Now, they're a real delicacy which I see too little of.Before your post...once again, I had not known what a 'dutch baby' was.

Dutch Baby is one of our favorite brunch dishes -- perfect for a Sunday like you've described. We were lucky enough to have blackberries growing on our property at our old house, but not where we are now, and those I purchase at the market seem to have no flavor at all. Lovely use for yours here!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.